Started the morning early at Rice Park under a meteor shower. We saw a few shooting stars as I got my pack together. Then started the long climb up by Waipoli Road. I saw a deer, boars, and goats Nice, cool conditions easy to keep a slow, controlled jog for the first 6 mile climb where you climb about 3000 feet. Then you finally get on dirt. You get on do flat jeep road section where you pass by Mamane trail and towards Polipoli recreation area. There’s a fork in the road once you reach that recreation area but you stay left on the mountain side for a bit longer till you take another sharp left to being the climb up skyline trail. From here you’ll climb another 4k to the summit. At this point, the sun is peeking over the summit and I’m basically staring directly at it for that next couple hours. Skyline now has quite a few sections that are washed out. Like there was a river running through the road. It didn’t cause for much of a detour, just significantly more difficult to navigate than I remember in the past. Got to the summit in four hours where I met Callie to refill my bottles and grab more fuel for the final section. I had ice ready, but I didn’t grab any cooling stuff since it was cool and breezy at the summit even though I know firsthand how hot it can be in the crater on exposed days. Probably my biggest mistake of the day. Going down sliding sands I seen a local athlete the hybrid Hawaiian I got to meet for the first time. It’s difficult running in the crater on a hot day. Trudging along this black volcanic sand where all the heat is radiating on you and there’s absolutely zero sun protection. The only plants out there the blooming silver sword. Just maintained a steady jog into the crater along the flats to Kapaloa cabin. Then you come back the way you came and immediately take that right towards Houla cabin. Some of the ups on this section are short but steep which make them tough going up in the sand. Then you get some smooth downhills in the soft sand which feels nice. Terrain quickly goes from sand to volcanic rock. Plenty of sharp jagged rocks your navigating in and out of as you approach Houla cabin. Take a right as you begin to exit the crater by going up Halemanu trail otherwise known as “switch backs”. Steep trail where you’ll climb a couple miles with pockets of heat and cool shade to get out of the crater. You continue to another intersection and go right to go down the supply trail towards Hosmer grove camp ground. You finish the run on narrow rocky single track. One road cross then continue on the trail ahead until you reach the small parking lot and continue down the road finishing at the end of the parking lot at the “nature walk” sign.
I wanted to redo this route that I did two years ago because not only is it some of my favorite places in all of Hawaii I knew there was plenty of time to shave off in areas. Took about 40 minutes off of my previous time now it’s time for somebody else to take another 40 minutes off of it.